Who says you need a green thumb to create your dream kitchen counter herb garden? Or time, as a matter of fact. Don’t get me wrong, taking the time to plant your own combination of herbs to grow on your kitchen countertop can be worth it – that is, if you actually have the time in between life, family and work, and can keep indoor plants alive (yes, I still struggle with all of the above).
Follow along for our little kitchen gardening trick for how to create a kitchen counter herb garden without planting anything.
How to create your own kitchen counter herb garden
For this neat trick, you won’t need much, not even gardening gloves or potting soil! It will take a quick zip to your local supermarket and 10 minutes, after which you’ll have your very own selection of kitchen herbs for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert.
Instead of keeping your usual bunches of fresh herbs in their container in the fridge, we’re going to transfer them to a pot filled with water instead. Herbs need a healthy amount of hydration and some sunlight to stay fresh – not necessarily cold, dry air you find in your fridge.
No need for soil, no need to remember to water daily, and once you’ve used up the herbs, clean the container and replace the stock. Think of it as a functional and edible bouquet instead of another house task that is easily forgotten.
What you’ll need:
- 3 to 4 medium-sized pots with no drainage hole (or pair with old glasses, or choose vases and other thrifted containers)
- Hot soapy water made in a bucket or your sink
- Rectangular drip tray that fits all the pots
- Water
- 3 to 4 big bunches of fresh herbs (think parsley, rosemary, thyme, fennel, basil, oregano, etc.)
- Cloth for cleaning
Steps
- Wash the pots/whichever vases or containers you’ve chosen in hot soapy water. Dry with a kitchen towel.
- Position the pots on the drip tray (this is more for preventing water messes and damage to the kitchen countertop). If you feel you want to go without it for a different look, go for it. If you couldn’t find pots without drainage holes, you can always use old water glasses to hold the herbs inside the pots.
- Fill each pot/water glass about halfway with fresh, clean, and cold tap water.
- Trim each bunch of herbs by cutting around 1 cm of their stalks off. Place each bundle in its own pot/inside the water glass and then pop this into the pot.
- Position your herb pots in a sunny area, preferably close to a window.
- Enjoy your makeshift herb garden.
If you notice your herbs drooping or looking limp, they’re in need of a fresh water top-up. If they have plenty of water still, then the hot air from working in the kitchen may be the culprit. Open a window for ventilation and pop a couple of ice cubes into each pot to help cool down the plants.
Remember to use a big bunch of fresh herbs (for a nice bouquet) that you find at your local veggie store or supermarket, and keep to the seasons to mix things up. At the moment, herbs like sage, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, mint, fennel, dill and parsley are readily available.
Once spring and summer arrive, change up your combination to include watercress, coriander, rocket, tarragon, curry leaves, lavender, chives, chervil, and basil.
